If you're stuck somewhere and need a nutritional pick-me-up, bars can be a great option. But they can also be expensive (costing upward of $5 depending on where you purchase them) and often include a ton of hard-to-pronounce ingredients. After experimenting with and tasting pretty much every vegan energy bar out there, searching for a cleaner, higher-protein bar that had ingredients I could actually say, it occurred to me that I could make them at home, save a bunch of money, and rest easy knowing where they came from.

Here are a few of my favorite super-easy and delicious recipes. These bars won't weigh you down, and they'll give you the energy you need to tackle your busy daily life. Most require no cooking, and all of them can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week or wrapped individually in parchment paper and stored in the refrigerator or freezer for any time you are on the go.

Directions:1. In a Vitamix or food processor, blend pumpkin seeds and water for about 1 minute until smooth. Add figs and pea protein and blend again until smooth. Flatten mixture onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 35 minutes.2. Meanwhile, using a double boiler, melt 3 tablespoons chocolate. Spread melted chocolate onto fig-protein mixture and place back in the freezer for 15 minutes. Melt remaining chocolate and coconut oil and mix well.3. Take date mixture out of the freezer and cut into 6 even pieces. Dip each piece into melted chocolate and roll with hands to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and place on a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating.

Directions:Blend 6 apricots, strawberries, water, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor 1 minute until smooth. Add protein powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Finely chop remaining 6 apricots and place in a mixing bowl with oats. Top with blended apricot mixture. Hand-mix ingredients until they are smooth. Place on a lined 8-by-8-inch cooking pan and spread mixture evenly. Freeze for 45 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut into 6 even bars.

Directions:Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend for 20 to 30 seconds. (For a smoother consistency, blend for about 1 minute). Spread mixture evenly into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and freeze for 35 minutes. Remove from freezer and cut into 6 pieces. If you'd prefer a drier consistency, bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees after taking out of the freezer.

Directions:1. Blend dates, pecans, protein powder, and coconut oil in a food processor or blender for 1 minute until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Remove from blender and mix into a bowl with coconut flakes until coconut is evenly distributed.2. Flatten into a parchment paper-lined 10-by-5-inch pan and place in the freezer for 35 minutes. Remove and cut into 8 even pieces.3. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave and drizzle over squares. Refrigerate until chocolate firms, about 15 minutes.